1988 Ford Capri 2.8I Special

• Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering Group was entrusted with developing the Capri 2.8i making its debut at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show
• Externally the car could be distinguished by the 7-spoke RS wheels and colour-coded grille and headlamp surrounds
• A fully verifiable 15,000 miles, in remarkable original and unmolested condition, coming from a very knowledgeable Ford enthusiast
• 2.8-litre V6 with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, five-speed gearbox, limited-slip differential (1984 onwards), ventilated front discs, lowered suspension, thicker anti-roll bars, gas-filled shock absorbers, Recaro half-leather seats and wide-rim alloys fitted with Goodyear 205/60VR NCT tyres
• The best example of its type we have ever offered, with original paint and Waxolyed from new

Towards the end of its life, the Ford Capri enjoyed an upswing in interest as more buyers realised that perhaps a front-wheel hot hatch simply wasn't for them, and a V6-engined, rear-wheel-drive sporting hatchback might very well do the job.

Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering group was entrusted with developing the 'Capri 2.8 Injection' that made its debut at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show. Based at the Research and Engineering centre in Essex, SVE decided to adopt the 2.8-litre V6 with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection - the first regular model since the RS2600 to use fuel injection - plus lowered suspension, thicker anti-roll bars, gas-filled shock absorbers, and wide-rim alloy wheels fitted with Goodyear's 205/60VR NCT tyres.

The specification also included a five-speed gearbox, a limited-slip differential (1984 onwards) and ventilated disc brakes for the front wheels. All this translates into a car that goes with 'wonderful eagerness', the Autocar test team enthused after rocketing from 0-60 mph to just 7.9 seconds. The Capri 2.8 Injection breathed new life into the range and kept the car in production two - three years longer than Ford had planned.

In 1984, the 2.8 injection model was the subject of a substantial upgrade and was known as the Capri Injection Special. This development used Recaro half leather seats and included a limited-slip differential. Externally the car could easily be distinguished by the seven-spoke RS wheels and its colour-coded grille and headlamp surround. Packed with performance and character, it paved the way for the superb Capri 280.

The car presented here is a 1988 Ford Capri Injection Special and what an example it is. The current owner is an avid Ford collector and considered an esteemed authority on the marque. He informs us that this car is in quite remarkable original and unmolested condition, and one of the best examples of its type he has seen, with original paint, having been Waxolyed from new.

It's a UK-market car and lived originally in Northern Ireland from 1988 until 1999, covering just 15,000 miles in this time, before being bought by a Ford collector in Southern Ireland in 1999. It formed a part his collection, being maintained/stored professionally but not used, until 2019. It was sold again in this year and has received some sympathetic and expert recommissioning, and is now UK-registered (E584 PDC).

One of the best available, with just 15,000 miles, and a must for the Ford collector.